Even the cleanest homes have their fair share of messes and every so often flying pests make their way in.
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pests → have → way
For a lot of people, mosquitoes, which sometimes carry deadly diseases, become a major problem.
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Getting rid of mosquitoes at home isn’t just about finding the best products to kill them, but it’s also about using the right methods to stop them from coming inside in the first place.
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With this in mind, I talked to pest control experts to learn how to get rid of mosquitoes at home, keep them away all year and prevent bites.
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Below, I include our experts’ guidance and product recommendations for making the task easier.
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task → include → guidance
The best products for getting rid of mosquitoes
All of the products below are highly rated on Amazon and have a perfect five-star rating from well over 3,000 shoppers, and at least a four-star average rating from 5,000 or more shoppers.
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Both Shannon Sked, an entomologist and national technical director at Orkin, and Gil Bloom, the president at Standard Pest Management recommended using mosquito dunks as one of the best remedies for preventing mosquitoes from taking over your home.
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Mosquito dunks are small round rings that you put in water, including bird baths, flower pots and ponds, that dissolve and release chemicals that kill mosquito larvae.
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that → put → larvae
This set includes six dunks, each of which works for at least 30 days and works for up to 100 square feet, according to the brand.
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Shoppers also love that though they kill mosquito larvae, the dunks aren’t toxic to other animals, which makes them safe to use in water troughs, such as for horses.
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This device from Thermacell sort of creates a force field for a small area to repel mosquitoes.
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It’s rechargeable, runs on a lithium ion battery and releases a chemical that repels mosquitoes for up to 20 feet, according to the brand.
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It’s about the size of a stemless wine glass and includes a USB-C cable.
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Perfect for using outside during a party or when camping, it also comes with multiple cartridges of the chemical, and each one lasts for 12 hours at a time.
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People who bought the device also say they like that it doesn’t emit a smell.
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This bug zapping device helps kill mosquitoes and multiple types of flying insects, including flies and moths.
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device → zap → flies
It uses a 4200-volt, blue-violet light bulb that attracts mosquitoes to it and zaps them.
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that → use → them
The replaceable bulb is also surrounded by fire-proof plastic, according to the brand, so it could contain a fire if one broke out.
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one → surround → fire
It also has a tray on the bottom to catch the zapped insects, which is removable when it’s time to clean.
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It has a loop on the top, so you can hang it near your door or anywhere around your lawn.
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I’ve included this popular insect trap in many roundups about how to get rid of flying pests.
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It is a great option for killing mosquitoes in your home without having to catch them yourself.
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It plugs into an outlet, emits a blue ultraviolet light that attracts mosquitoes, house flies and fruit flies, and has a cartridge attached with an adhesive side that traps them.
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that → plug → them
Each cartridge lasts anywhere from one to two months, according to the brand.
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Some shoppers also love how easy it is to set up and that the adhesion works well.
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This balm is a mosquito repellent for your body (not your home), so it’s suitable for use when you spend time outdoors, but you can wear it indoors if you see mosquitoes in your space.
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It’s DEET-free and made from a mix of castor, lemongrass, rosemary, cedarwood and peppermint oils and beeswax.
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It has a lemon fragrance, which many people who bought the product love.
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Apply it to parts of your body that aren’t covered by clothing.
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Since it’s in a 2-ounce tin, you can easily bring it with you on a trip or to run errands.
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Murphy’s Naturals also makes a citronella candle made from soy, beeswax and essential oils that has a citrus and herb fragrance.
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They have 30 hours of burn time (the 9 ounce option), which means 30 hours of repelling mosquitoes.
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Since candles have an active flame, they require supervision, making them best for camping or barbecues, not just to be left burning outside of your home at all times.
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They’re available in three sizes: tea lights, 3.5 ounces and 9 ounces.
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How I picked the best products for getting rid of mosquitoes
There are several important factors that go into selecting the best products for getting rid of mosquitoes at home.
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Here’s what experts recommended I keep in mind when making the list above:
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- Source: The first important thing to do when getting rid of mosquitoes is to identify where the mosquitoes are coming from and/or how they’re getting into your home.
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“The most common cause of mosquito problems at home is standing water, since mosquitoes need it to breed,” says Sked.
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“Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a bottle cap of water, so even small amounts collected in gutters, plant containers or poorly drained soil can support their life cycle.”
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amounts → breed → cycle
It’s also important to make sure you’re doing proper upkeep of your lawn and other areas around your home.
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you → ’ → home
…and 24 more, not listed.
The Aporia
